When is your next Email (Spreadsheets/Photography.....)
course scheduled

We schedule courses over two-month slots when
demand for the courses is established (the alternative approach of
year-long schedules will result in cancelled courses which wastes our
limited facilities). If you want to do a course, notify our
Training Coordinator and raise the odds that we will slot it in.
Note that we also try to shuffle the weekdays for specific courses, so
that they will not 'always' clash with your other activities; you should
therefore book for a course even if the current programme puts
it on an impossible day.

I want to buy a computer - can you tell me
what to get?

There is no short answer to this question; you might as well ask
'Which car should I buy'. It is really a matter of what you want to do with it. That demands a discussion that will not fit on this page; click
here to see a range of
options on the topic.

Can SeniorNet recommend someone to fix up my
computer?

We cannot make such a recommendation, as your
requirements depend on your circumstances, and we are not
prepared to accept responsibility if things don’t work out for
you (see Disclaimer
page). However, we have prepared a listing of repairers whom
other members have found satisfactory; click
here to see it

What is the difference between a tablet and an
iPad?

A tablet computer, or simply tablet, is a
one-piece mobile computer, primarily operated by touchscreen
(the user's finger essentially functions as the mouse and
cursor), although some tablets have a slide-out or detachable
keyboard. They are usually sized about 15cm to 25cm on the
diagonal (small paperback through to A5 paper size). The
iPad is Apple’s brand of tablet, and was the first to
achieve wide-ranging commercial success. However, iPads are
currently outsold by Android-based devices – Android is a
different operating system originally developed for mobile
phones by Google – which are offered by a wide range of
manufacturers.
This recent article compares current Android offerings.
Finally, the recently-released Windows 8 operating system is
targeted at tablet computers and you can find comparisons on
this page.

I cannot find a menu in the program (usually
an internet browser) I am using

If you press the Alt key on your keyboard the
menu will appear. Note also that if you use the Alt key on
any program you will access its keyboard shortcuts - each menu
item will have an underlined letter, which you key to run that
command; and in Ribbon control applications each ribbon tab, and
then the buttons on a chosen ribbon, will be labelled with a
letter for the same purpose

Can I safely use generic or refill cartridges
in my printer?

You will be risking problems with your print
head (if inkjet) or drum (if laser) by doing so. If your
cartridge has a built-in head or drum this is less of a problem
as all you risk is the early loss of the cartridge. If you
printer has a separate print head it may clog - and although
your warrenty is not invalidated by using generic spares it
excludes damage caused by incorrect ink.
You will be told that the generic spare is exactly equivalent to
the original; however, this is a bit like saying that E10 petrol
is equivalent to unleaded - it may well be OK but much depends
on your equipment. You should note that each level of
genuine cartridge has fine-tuned ink suited to the model of
printer (for example, Canon 520 ink differs from CLI-8 ink).

How can I see a list sorted in a different order?

Most programs that display tables of items (such
as emails, files and folders) have column headings that act as
sort buttons. Click on the 'Date' heading and the table is
sorted from latest (at the top) to earliest (at the bottom.
Click on 'Date' again and the order is reversed. 'Name'
will sort A-Z (but 0-9 come first). Note that when you are
looking at files you have to choose 'Details' view to see the
table layout.

Can you explain the National Broadband
Network?

It is too complex for a short answer; but there is a very
good set of explanatory videos on
this
site.